Pressurized containers of the aerosol type have been traditionally equipped with an actuating button or cap, which button or cap defines a product duct through which the product passes to the discharge orifice situated within the button or cap. To discharge product from the container, the user grasps the container and with one finger of the grasping hand depresses the button or a portion of the cap to release the contents of the container.
While achieving substantial commercial success, finger actuated buttons or caps have the disadvantage of inducing finger fatigue for some users. Moreover, with the prior systems of actuation, the aiming of the discharged product to the desired surface area suffers somewhat due to the relatively awkward gripping and finger placement. A more natural grasping and actuation of the container is achieved through the use of a trigger mechanism.
Heretofore, aerosol containers actuated through a trigger mechanism have had the disadvantages of not optimizing the ease of valve actuation; of having a portion of the actuating mechanism extend beyond the perimeter of the container, with the attendant problems during shipment or storage of preactuation due to inadvertent contact with the trigger; and aesthetic unappeal to consumers. Examples of prior trigger actuated aerosol containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,189,232, 3,580,432 and 3,987,942.